Shotgun cleaning frequency

[n00dles]

I own a Mossberg 500 slug gun with 50 slugs through it. Being a lazy bastard, I was curious as to how long I could procrastinate cleaning it... Any ideas?

 

[Boondock Saint]

I have a Mossberg 500 as well. I clean the barrel after every range session and do a full strip every other time. Between full cleanings, I'll put a dot of Tetra on the forend rails to keep it cycling as smoothly as possible.

 

[shadow116]

Maybe I am the crazy one, and it is the only gun I treat this way, but I have a Benelli Nova that has over 1K of shells through it. And with the exception of a boresnake through it after a day of clay birds, I have only given it a detailed cleaning once and that was probably after about 250 or 300 shells. I have made it kind of torture test to see how long I can go before a failure or stoppage.

 

[wyomingboy]

Pump guns.... other than a wipe down, clean after 2500 rounds. Autos (depending on which one), from 500 to 1500 rounds.

 

[alucard0822]

For pumps, I just pull a boresnake through a couple times after shooting it, then wipe out and re-apply a small dab of grease in the lock lug pocket. Every couple years, I take them apart and wipe out the inside of the reciever, and bolt, put a couple drops of oil in the trigger parts, and a little grease on the bolt rails.

 

[Sinjin]

Don't quote me on this...but I have a 590A1 and I believe Mossberg recommends after every 250 rounds. I'd have to go back through my documentation to confirm that, but that's what I recall.

 

[HoCoShooter]

I have a 500 too. I dont shoot it much, I usually bring it to the range just to keep familiar with it and have put maybe a hundred slugs and a hundred shot rounds through it so far. I clean the barrel after each trip to the range but have only stripped it once since I got it about 6 months ago. I have a feeling you could abuse the hell out of a 500 and not have a problem but why take the chance? It's my second weapon for hd so I sleep better knowing it's going to operate properly if needed.

 

[JeepDriver]

For pumps, I just pull a boresnake through a couple times after shooting it, then wipe out and re-apply a small dab of grease in the lock lug pocket. Every couple years, I take them apart and wipe out the inside of the reciever, and bolt, put a couple drops of oil in the trigger parts, and a little grease on the bolt rails.

To me that's over cleaning !

I don't remember ever cleaning my pump guns.

My 14" gun has been my shooter for the past year. I have atleast 1000rds of various loads through it, never cleaned. I have wiped the soot off the Sure Fire that's mounted on it, that's all. I have a 20" 590 that I have had for about 5 years. It's never been cleaned. They just don't need it. Maybe a quick shot of your pet lube on the bolt every once and a while and you are good to go!

That's the awesomeness (is that a word?) of the pump shot gun .

 

[andyman]

I wasn't aware I was suposed to clean my 500. I have a bore snake for my bolt slug gun maybe that would work in my 500. What do you think jeep? If it ever acted like it didn't want to do it's job waybe I would put some oil somewhere. People really clean pump guns??

 

[Boondock Saint]

To me that's over cleaning !

I don't remember ever cleaning my pump guns.

My 14" gun has been my shooter for the past year. I have atleast 1000rds of various loads through it, never cleaned. I have wiped the soot off the Sure Fire that's mounted on it, that's all. I have a 20" 590 that I have had for about 5 years. It's never been cleaned. They just don't need it. Maybe a quick shot of your pet lube on the bolt every once and a while and you are good to go!

That's the awesomeness (is that a word?) of the pump shot gun .

Alright, if Jeep says I'm cleaning it too much, then I'm quite obviously cleaning too much.

 

[HarEngSer]

Pump guns just add that special powder aroma to the gun cabnet. Auto's get cleaned about every 100-500 depending on time between and quality of the gun. Choke tube should be clean and barrel swabbed almost eveytime. The finish on the tubes makes a huge diffrence in your pattern.

 

[wyomingboy]

Just curious, but how does the finish on your tubes make a huge difference in your pattern?

 

[jjboxman]

Just curious, but how does the finish on your tubes make a huge difference in your pattern?

Plastic build up. Those who do not clean shotguns, check for white streaks in barrel. Clean mine every 200 rounds or so.

 

[HarEngSer]

Just curious, but how does the finish on your tubes make a huge difference in your pattern?

I'm not 100% sure but i believe it has something to do with drag/expansion on the wad that allows the shot to align properly. If there is a bump at ,say, 9 oclock then it can shift the whole shot load for a microsecond just before it exits the barrel. If it can't realign or if only some of the shot comes back it will make a hole. Really doesn't mean much on live birds and other large targets, but on a clay it can be the diffrence between a break and a miss.

 

[biermkr]

I clean my 500 after a day on the river if it gets wet and muddy, or if I use my muzzle loader barrel. Then it is a complete tear down and clean/oil.
After hunting season I will tear down and check for any rust and oil it up for shooting clays.

 

[Mega]

Call me old school, but I do a complete tear-down and clean after each range session.

 

[wyomingboy]

Yeah well, plastic buildup can only build up so much. I've shot patterns with clean bbls vs very dirty bbls and there is virtually no difference in patterns.

The most important reason to clean choke tubes has nothing to do with patterns. When the gun goes bang, hot gases and powder & plastic residue can migrate between the choke and the inside of the bbl wall and end up virtually epoxying the choke tube into the bbl. Left unchecked with some guns and it'll cost you a new choke tube plus $50 to get the old one removed. It all depends on the size of the gap between the seat of the tube and the bbl shoulder upon which it seats as to how much crud gets in there and how often you need to pull the tube and clean it.

 

[IndispensableDestiny]

I clean after every session. Choke tubes too.

 

[E.Shell]

Put me down as a "no clean".

I used to clean the hell out of my stuff, and finally realized I was wasting a large potion of my life. Now, it's more "occasionally".

While I have seen slug accuracy degrade with plastic (sabot) or lead fouling, patterns have been unaffected.

I wipe the exterior with my trusty oily rag when I go and come, and drip some oil on the moving parts, but seldom actually field strip and clean shotguns or .22s.

Centerfire rifles are opposite. They're Teflon coated and never need the oily rag, but I do clean the bores on my target rifles after every trip (except .308s), and keep grease on the bolt lugs on everything.

 

[CraZ4GunZ]

Clean Mossberg

Thanks for the info guys - I've only had my 590 a few months with less than 100 rounds and I was wondering about the cleaning also. Still think I'll take her down once in a while for the practice anyway...